


Impossible Miracle

by SpellStorm



Series: Miracle [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 01:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1410127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpellStorm/pseuds/SpellStorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor wasn't sure what to expect when he went to investigate the strange blip in the wardrobe, but he definitely didn't think he'd find a new companion. Eleven years later, Andi wants to know where she came from -- and she's not taking no for an answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Of Constellations and Names

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of my first ever Doctor Who fanfiction. I became a huge fan of the show in a very short time -- finished Series 1-6 in less than a month -- and have been itching to write something for it.  
> Prologue takes off immediately after 'Doomsday', except Donna never showed up.  
> Please let me know what you think and if it seems like something you'd continue reading....?

The Doctor rubbed his face with both his hands and sighed. Slowly he walked around the console, pressing buttons and flipping switches. He didn’t have a destination in mind, so he just set the TARDIS to hover in place.

The main control room felt so empty. Even when Rose had been sleeping he’d still been able to sense her. Now there was nothing. He’d indulged himself, allowed himself to get close to another human, and look where it’d gotten him.

He was passing the monitor when something caught his eye. Squinting, he leaned in closer.

“What’s that?” he wondered out loud. “There’s a blip in the wardrobe, why would there be a blip in the wardrobe?” It wouldn’t have shown up if it was inanimate….

Suddenly his eyes widened, and he took off down the hallways of the TARDIS. He sent a loving, thankful thought toward his old girl when the door appeared closer than it should have been. Pushing through the door, he slipped inside and began walking around quietly, peering between racks for whatever had caused the blip.

He was just about to give up when he heard a sneeze. He froze for a moment and then turned around slowly. There was another sneeze, and he tracked it to a pile of new clothes he’d acquired but hadn’t bothered to put away yet. 

Carefully, he began sifting through the heap.

What he saw almost made his hearts stop.

A bundle of gray cloth was tossed carelessly into the mix, laying on a green 1780s dress. It was bulged as if something was inside. Reaching out, he peeled back the blanket.

Wrapped haphazardly inside was a wide-eyed baby.

Mouth open, he picked the bundle up and held it out in front of him, staring. The baby looked back at him, eyes appearing to glow with something otherworldly. It had been so long since he’d held something this small, he couldn’t quite remember….

And then he did. He pulled the baby closer to his body and rested it against his hip, discovering it to be a girl in the process. Bouncing her lightly, he murmured, “Who are you, then, eh? Where’d you come from?” He reached into his suit jacket and grabbed his screwdriver. “Let’s take a look, shall we?” He ran it over the child.

He frowned at the results. “Inconclusive? You’ve never been inconclusive!” Looking down at the baby, he sighed. “Well, let’s get you to the control room; maybe the TARDIS will know how you got here.”

They reached the large space quickly — again, thanks to the TARDIS — and the Doctor plopped himself gently down on the jump seat, placing the baby so she lay on his legs, staring up at him. For the first time, he actually _looked_ at her.

Back in the wardrobe, he’d thought her eyes were just reacting weirdly to the lights; now he saw that they were actually bright amber, and they did indeed glow a bit, almost as if there was some sort of backlight behind them. Her hair was long, longer than it should have been for a child of her age — almost a year, he reckoned — and a blonde so pale it was nearly white. Electric blue streaks ran through her locks at intervals. Her fair skin was flawless and soft; her face was dotted with freckles, and there was a tiny beauty mark near the outside corner of her right eye.

He also noticed that the only thing she had on was the blanket.

A trip to a long-forgotten storeroom in the way back reaches of the TARDIS found the child dressed in soft white dress and tucked into an old cradle. The Doctor stared down at her as he rocked the bed from side to side.

“You know, that was my daughter Zeta’s dress,” he told her quietly. “She wore it the day we officially named her, in front of all the other Time Lords. Didn’t have a clue what was going on, but then again, she was barely even one.”

He sighed. “I suppose you’ll have to have a name, then. I don’t know what you are, my sonic screwdriver doesn’t know what you are, the TARDIS doesn’t even know what you are, and that sort of scares me because she should. I can’t let you loose in the universe without knowing where you come from and what sort of threats you could pose someday. Don’t suppose you talk, do you?”

The tiny girl had hardly made a sound since he’d found her, other than the occasional sneeze (the screwdriver had worked that out as a common cold, at least). Now, though, she gurgled and blew bubbles at him.

“Didn’t think so.” He tilted his head a bit to the side. “Hmm…. Well, since I don’t know what species you are, you’re just going to have to deal with a human name.”

A list of female names ran through his head: Katarina, Polly, Zoe, Sarah Jane….

 _No, no, no_ , he scolded himself. _Do not go there. None of those. No naming a child of an unidentified species after companions. Bad Doctor._

He looked around the control room, hoping for some inspiration. His eyes glanced over the monitor once before flicking back to it and locking on to the screen. It was showing a live feed of everything outside the TARDIS. Using his screwdriver to broaden the view, he realized he was hovering perfectly between the constellation Andromeda and the constellation Cassiopeia. Odd. He didn’t remember parking there. In all honesty, though, he had been a bit preoccupied with finding a sun to burn up.

The Doctor’s eyes turned back to the baby. “Between Cassiopeia and Andromeda, huh? They were mother and daughter, you know, according to the Ancient Greeks. Cassiopeia boasted that she and Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, and it angered the Sea God, Poseidon. He sent the sea monster Cetus to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia. To appease him, Andromeda was chained to a stone and left as a sacrifice. But the brave hero Perseus saved her. So that Cassiopeia did not escape punishment, however, Poseidon tied her to a chair in the heavens, in such a way that she would spend of half of each year upside down for all eternity.”

The Time Lord sighed. “I loved the Greeks. Great civilization, although some would argue Rome was better. Too trigger-happy for my taste, or as I should say sword-happy.” He tilted his head to look at the girl in the cradle. “I wonder if that’s what happened to you. A sacrifice, I mean, like Andromeda.”

He stopped talking, shocked, when he saw her smile. It was the first time she’d done that, the first time she’d really even changed her facial expression at all.

“Andromeda?” he repeated.

This time she smiled and _giggled_.

“Alright, then, I think we’ve found you a name. Andromeda Cassiopeia Freya — the Freya because, well, if you’re going to stay with me you’re gonna to have to get used to Time Lord stuff, and that’s a traditional Time Lord name so it stays.” He jumped to his feet and went to the monitor. “You got that, old girl?”

The screen flashed and then displayed an image of the girl with her name beside it.

The Doctor frowned. “No, no, it’s three names. One first, one middle, one Gallifreyan.” The words remained. He sighed. “Ah, well.” Turning to the baby, he said, “Looks like you have four names, now.”

He walked back over to the cradle, crouched down, and, smiling, said, 

“Welcome to the TARDIS, Andromeda Cassiopeia Freya Kasterborous.”


	2. Of Cradles and Parentage

“Can I help you?”

The Doctor turned around. A young girl, probably early twenties, stood behind him. She wore a store uniform; her nametag read _Brie_.

“You looked sort of lost,” she continued. She was American, no doubt, and definitely Southern. She must've been native to North Carolina.

He hesitated, hating to admit defeat, but then he nodded. “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.” It was true. He’d had children before, of course, two boys and a girl, but they had been of his own race, had been Gallifreyan. This child was different, and even the TARDIS didn’t know by how much. He was out of his league.

Brie smiled. “Single dad?” she questioned, nodding to the baby. “I know the feeling.”

He looked her up and down once. “But you can’t be more than twenty!” _Oh, was that rude?_ He needed to pay more attention, now that Rose was --

The woman blushed. “Nineteen, actually. I was a teen mom. I made a stupid mistake and got pregnant when I was a freshman in high school. Isaac’s father didn’t want anything to do with either us, so I was on my own. Took my classes online til junior year, got a job the day I turned sixteen in order to pay for daycare, went back to school, and graduated with my class. I’m signed up to start courses at the community college this fall.”

She suddenly seemed to realize what she’d been saying. “I’m sorry; you don’t care about that. I just get really defensive because people disapprove and I don’t care what people think about me but I don’t want anyone judging Isaac....”

“You’re brilliant!” the Doctor exclaimed.

Brie blinked, obviously taken aback. “What?”

“I said you’re brilliant! You’re amazing, wonderful, marvelous! Taking on that kind of responsibility at such a young age and still to get a proper education? Do you know how rare that is? Most girls in your position don’t even try. You were what, fourteen? And to be so devoted to your son that you’d defend him to a complete stranger, let alone a customer? You are a rare kind.”

Brie looked down. “You’re the first person to ever say something like that. Everyone else just looks at me disapprovingly, or even like they’re disgusted.”

They shared a smile. The silence was, surprisingly, not a bit awkward. It was broken by a sudden coo.

Brie looked at the baby. “What’s her name?” she asked, reaching out and allowing her finger to be gripped.

“Andromeda,” the Doctor replied. “Andi for short.”

“Hi, Andi,” she cooed. “So what’s the situation? Ex-wife, girlfriend...?”

“Adoption. Sort of. It’s... complicated.”

She nodded. “You’re my favorite kind of person, then. Anyone who adopts is fine by me. So, what are you looking for?”

The Doctor snapped back to his mission. “Um... everything,” he confessed sheepishly. “Like I said before, I have no clue what I’m doing. I need a crib, definitely; she won’t fit in the cradle much longer. Diapers, bottles, clothes, food....”

Brie laughed at his stressed expression. “Calm down, Mr...?”

He held out a hand. “Smith. Doctor Smith, actually. Call me John.”

“Brie Kelly,” she offered. “Don’t worry, John. It’s natural to panic. Let’s just take things one at a time. First things first; we’ll start with the essentials....”


	3. Of Hats and Attacks

The Doctor watched Brie scan the crowded Starbucks until she found him. Smiling, she began weaving through people and tables.

“Sorry it took so long,” she apologized once she reached him. “Traffic is terrible and the pick-up line at his school always gets backed up.”

“You’re fine,” he replied. He smiled at the little boy on Brie’s hip. “Hello there. Is this Isaac, then?”

“Sure is. Can you say hello to John, baby?”

The red-haired boy smiled shyly. “Hello, John.”

Brie settled her son in a chair and sat down herself. “God, my brain is _fried_. I’ve been paying bills and applying for student loans all week.”

The Doctor stood. “I’ll fetch the drinks.”

She sighed gratefully. “Thanks. I’ll take a grande Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino for me and a bottle of apple juice for Isaac.” She pulled her wallet out of her bag, but the Doctor held up a hand.

“I’ve got it.”

“No, but --”

“I’ve got it, Brie.”

She opened her mouth to protest, decided against it, and simply said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He handed Andi to her and turned to go. A thought popped into his head and he swiveled back around. “What’s safe for Andi?”

Brie smiled. “1% or whole milk.”

He nodded. “Got it.”

At the front counter, he paid for the drinks with money he’d “acquired” from the ATM and carried them back to their table.

“One Mocha and one apple juice,” he announced, placing them in front of the humans.

When Brie didn’t say anything, he glanced at her. She was staring at the gray knit hat he’d dug out for Andi that morning. There was no way he would be leaving her in the TARDIS alone anytime soon, and her unnaturally-colored locks would draw way too much attention. He’d managed to stuff all of her hair into the hat.

“Why do you have a hat on her?” the young mother asked. “I was wondering about that in the store, but I didn’t want to say anything. It’s the middle of summer, and she’s wearing a knit hat. Why?”

The Doctor took a sip of his Vanilla Bean Frappuccino -- it was more of a milkshake, really; he and caffeine _did not_ mix -- and cleared his throat. “She has a, uh, skin condition. Heat related. It’s called Miliaria; she gets rashes. I have to keep her covered.” Luckily, he’d dressed the child in a light dress with a long-sleeved shirt, leggings, and strap-on tennis shoes, so his lie was backed up.

Brie seemed to accept his explanation, at least for the time being, and handed the child back to him. “So, where’s that accent from?” she wondered, sipping her drink.

“Southeastern England,” he said, knowing that’s what his accent sounded like. “Windsor. It’s near the River Thames.”

“What brought you to the US?”

Was this what humans did, make small talk? He and Rose never really talked about the little things; he’d told her where he was from when she’d asked, and he asked her about her childhood, but most of their time was spent running and laughing and hand-holding and having fun. This was so much different. He couldn’t be honest. It wasn’t anything new, but somehow it felt wrong this time. Brie was so kind, so gentle yet spunky. Maybe she could come with him. It’d be nice to have an experienced parent on board, to help him when he couldn’t figure out how to care for Andi.

But no, that wasn’t fair. What if she got hurt? She had Isaac to think about. After what happened with Rose, he wouldn’t risk anyone else’s safety. He wouldn’t ask; after this, he would get in the TARDIS with Andi and leave and never bother the young woman in front of him ever again.

Well, unless he had a question. Then maybe he could make an exception.

“What are you going to school for?” the Doctor asked.

“Social Work. I want to be a Child Case Worker.”

“That’s great!” He smiled. “There aren’t enough people who really care.”

“I’d like to be a foster mother, too, someday. When I have a stable job, of course,” she added quickly. “And a salary. I just think it’d be nice for Isaac to have someone to play with. I don’t think I’ll ever have kids again; I love my son, but pregnancy is just not for me. Maybe I’ll adopt, like you.”

The Doctor felt kind of bad, hearing how easily she’d accepted his lie earlier, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, after today, she would never see him again.

"What kind of doctor are you? Pediatric, orthodontic...?"

"Oh, you know.... Just this and that. I have a medical degree, no real official job title. I'm just a doctor."

And there was the guilt again.

Before Brie could reply, the sound of shattering glass rang out through Starbucks. As humans tended to do, everyone started screaming and running away.

Brie stared as the stiff creatures clambered through the shattered window. Outside, shoppers were in a panic, rushing in and out of stores in an attempt to get away from the plastic menaces.

The Doctor stood up. He hated to do this in front of his new friend, but he couldn't let the aliens anywhere near his new ward.

"Take Andi and Isaac," he told Brie, "and when I say to, run."

He handed the children to her before reaching into his jacket and retrieving his screwdriver. He clicked through the settings until he found the correct one, then held it high above his head.

_"Run."_

Then he pressed the button.

A high-pitched sound was emitted from the small tool, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and cover their ears. The mannequins stopped as well, shaking violently before collapsing. The Doctor caught sight of Brie running through the mall, both kids clutched in her arms. _Finally_ , he thought. _Someone who listens_.

The Time Lord followed the sound of the sonic until he found where it was the loudest and stopped down to retrieve a small metal box from a box of plastic frappuccino cups. He pointed the sonic at it until it began to spark and stopped humming. All the remaining Autons collapsed.

Before people could start asking questions, the Doctor left

_~Impossible Miracle~_

He found the three of them outside the mall, huddled in a small green KIA Soul. The doors were unlocked, and he leaned in through the passenger side.

"Everyone alright?" he asked, his voice casual.

Brie stared at him with wide brown eyes. " _Alright?_ What _was_ that?!"

The Doctor reached for Andi, but she pulled the baby back, out of his reach. _She thinks I'm dangerous_ , he realized. _She thinks I'll hurt her_.

He sighed. "Brie --"

"That silver thing, with the glowing blue tip, it- it made a sound, and all the dummies fell, and then-- What the hell was that?"

" _Brie_." She finally met his eyes; hers were wild. "I know what you're thinking --"

"You can read minds?!" she yelped.

He sighed again. "No. I meant I know what you must be thinking. But I'm not a monster. I'm going to come out a say it because I'm sure what you're thinking is a hundred times worse: I'm an alien."

She stared at him. "Like... like from outer space and stuff?"

He nodded. "I'm from a planet in the constellation of Kasterborous. But I’m not here to hurt anyone, or invade Earth or anything like that. I’m just... a traveler, you could say. Passing through.”

“And... Andi?” She was hesitant.

“Andi is an alien, too, although I don’t know what. I found her yesterday in my ship. No clue how she got there, but she was alone and I couldn’t just abandon her.”

“Your... ship? You mean you have a- a spaceship?”

He tilted his head. “Weeeelll, it’s more like a time ship that can also travel in space, but if you want.” He held out his hands. “May I have Andi now?”

She hesitated.

The Doctor looked into her eyes. “Brie. I promise, I’m not going to hurt her. I’m not going to hurt anyone, unless they put her in danger. I swear.”

She waited a second more before handing the little girl to him.

Andi cooed when she was returned to the Time Lord’s arms. “There we go,” he said. “Back with the Doctor, eh?”

“The Doctor?” Brie asked.

He looked up and nodded. “That’s me. Just the Doctor. It’s a Gallifreyan thing.”

He saw her breathing pick up and grabbed her hand. “It’s alright, Brie. Breathe. C’mon, that’s it. Breathe. Deep breaths.”

Once she’d calmed down, she grabbed Isaac and pulled him into her lap. “Okay. So let me get this straight: You are an alien. You have a time ship. Andi is an alien, but you don’t know what kind, because you just found her in your time ship yesterday. Your name is the Doctor, and it has something to do with your planet. Am I getting it all right?”

“More or less.”

She nodded shakily.

“Hey.” He waited until she was looking at him. “Do you want to see it?”

She frowned. “See what?”

“My ship. My time ship, do you want to see it?”

Brie gulped. “Is it close?”

He nodded. “It’s right over behind Academy Sports.”

She hesitated, staring down at her son. Then she looked up at him and nodded. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “But I’ll drive.”


	4. Of Aliens and Promises

On the way, Brie began asking more questions.

“So what were those things?” she wondered. Now that she was somewhat in control of the situation, she appeared calmer, more like the young woman he’d met at Babies R Us.

“They were mannequins,” he replied, “exactly what they looked like. But they were being controlled by a transmitter, turning them into living plastic, or Autons. I’ve dealt with them before, a couple times. There’s a being called the Nestene Consciousness that can animate them.”

“But why plastic?”

“Because that’s what the Consciousness essentially is: plastic. This attack was much smaller than the other ones I’ve been involved in. Must’ve been a weak Nestene. Just there,” he added, pointing.

Brie turned the car into the loading dock area and turned it off. They all climbed out, Isaac holding his mother’s hand and Andi cradled in her “father’s” arms.

“I don’t see anything,” the human said, looking around.

The Doctor pointed to the Dumpster. “I parked right behind there. Most of the time people don’t notice it, but I’d rather not take a risk.”

He led the way behind the smelly metal container. The TARDIS sat right where he’d left her, big and blue and welcoming.

Brie stopped and stared. “It’s a box.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

She stared at him. “No, I mean, it’s a _box_.”

“I know.”

“You’re telling me your ship is a box?”

He shrugged. “Not exactly.”

As she watched, he walked up to the door and unlocked it. He stepped inside and then popped his head back out. “Coming?”

Taking a deep breath, she did.

He laughed at her face when she saw the inside. “Oh... my god,” she gasped. “That’s impossible. That is entirely, wholly... impossible.”

The Doctor smiled. “Bigger on the inside. It’s Time Lord science.”

She frowned. “Time Lord?”

He nodded. “That’s what I am, a Time Lord. Born on the planet Gallifrey about, oh, 903 years ago? Give or take, it’s hard to keep track.”

Brie swallowed hard but didn’t comment. “And... Andi? You said you didn’t know what she is. Do you have an idea?”

His brow furrowed. “Well, she looks human obviously, and she doesn’t have a perception filter. That narrows it down to about... 30 planets? I’ll have to do some research in the library later.”

The Doctor placed Andi in his old cradle and pulled off the hat. Her long hair tumbled out and settled around her shoulders.

Brie stared. “Is that natural?”

He ran his fingers through it, examining. “Appears to be.” He sighed. “It doesn’t help me narrow down the possibilities, though. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“So I take it there’s no skin condition?”

He winced. “Um... no. It was the first thing I could think of. Sorry.”

As Brie strolled around the control room, the Doctor noticed that Isaac was silently following her, looking around with wide eyes. Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t heard the five-year-old say a word since they met.

“Is Isaac alright? He hasn’t said much; I’d’ve thought he’d be freaking out, or at least frightened.”

Brie glanced down at her son. “Oh, he’s fine. He just doesn’t say much, never has. I doubt it’ll stay that way; the quieter the child, the louder they are later on, usually.”

She looked at the heap of boxes and bags the Doctor had deposited off to the side after his shopping trip. “Where’s all that going to go?” she asked. “Do you have a room for her back home?”

“This is home. The TARDIS is everything for me. And yes, there’s a room for her.” At her dubious look, he repeated, “Bigger on the inside.”

An idea popped into his head. “Would you like to see her room? It might make you feel more comfortable.”

Brie nodded. “Lead the way.”

The Doctor led her down a couple hallways until they reached the bedrooms. They passed a door with a purple door hanger, and he quickly looked away. He would pack it up, eventually, and have the TARDIS store the contents away with all the rest. But for now, Rose’s bedroom would remain untouched.

Right next door was the room he’d had in mind for Andi. His was right across the hall, within hearing distance in case something happened. Opening the door, he led the way inside.

“How the heck --”

The walls of the room were painted a soft pink, with a decal of a tree on one. Below the decal was the crib: white wood with brown, pink, and white bedding. There was a soft polka dot rug on one end, where a changing table stood. In the corner was a rocking chair.

“How did that happen? It was all back there....”

The Doctor smiled. “The TARDIS. She knew what I wanted so she did it.”

Brie stared at him. “The ship? Your ship did this? _All_ this, in less than ten minutes?”

He nodded. “She’s sentient. You’d be surprised at what she can and does do.”

They made their way back to the control room. Brie sat down in the jump seat. “So what do you do?” she asked. “You just... travel?”

“Pretty much. Sometimes I have... friends, who come with me. Other times it’s just me. And, now, Andi.”

“And are these friends... aliens?” She was being as casual as possible.

“Sometimes,” he replied. “Mostly they’re human, though. They get involved because of some attack and afterwards choose to come with me. It’s always up to them, of course. I would never force anyone to stay.”

“When’s the last time you had a friend?”

The Doctor did his best to clamp down on the emotions swelling inside him. “Yesterday, actually.”

Brie’s eyes widened. “ _Yesterday?_ Where are they, then? What happened?”

He swallowed hard. “Her name was Rose. She was with me for a long time; almost two years. She put up with it all: my moods, my anger, my childishness.” He sighed. “She’s... on a parallel world now. There was an accident, and she got trapped. It’s better there than dead, but....” He cleared his throat. “I found Andi about five minutes later. No idea who left her or how they got in, but she’s here now. I don’t know what she is; even the TARDIS doesn’t know, and that’s just about impossible.”

“You keep saying TARDIS. What language is that?”

“It’s an acronym. Time and Relative Dimension in Space. That’s what the ship is called.”

“And why is it inside a box?”

He laughed. “It’s not, not really. That’s just the outside. It’s complicated science, but it involves multiple dimensions connecting and --”

“So basically bigger on the inside?” she cut in.

He pouted a bit at being cut off but nodded. “Yeah.”

She laughed at the look on his face before something sparked in her eye. She sat up straighter and looked around. “Where’s Isaac?”

The Doctor blinked and glanced around the room. He was about to check the monitor -- if Isaac had gone down the hallway, it could take hours to find him -- when his eyes landed on the cradle. He smiled. “Looks like someone’s made a new friend.”

Brie looked where the Time Lord was pointing. Isaac stood in front of the wooden crib, staring down at Andi. The baby was looking back at him, an adorable smile on her face. One of the human’s fingers was wrapped in her tiny fist. The young boy appeared fascinated by the tiny child.

His mother cooed. “Oh, that’s adorable! Isaac hasn’t had much luck making friends at his school. You know little kids -- they find something different and stay away from it, and Isaac is the only student with one parent. The others just... they don’t understand.”

Although he’d shot down the idea earlier, the Doctor saw the opportunity and took it.

“You know,” he said, aiming for casual, “Andi is only a year old. And it’s been centuries since I’ve had children. I could always use another set of hands.”

Brie stared at him. “What are you saying?” she asked slowly.

“I’m saying: come with me. This ship can go anywhere in time and space; think of all the things you could see! And Isaac could have Andi to play with.” He looked in her eyes. “What do you say?”

She looked around the ship, at Isaac making funny faces at Andi, at the foreign materials and bizarre controls on the console. After a moment of silence, she turned back to the Doctor.

“I can’t.”

His face fell. “Why not?”

“I’ve been working so hard for years so I could go to college. I took all AP and Honors classes in high school, even when I was learning online. I’ve put everything into it; I can’t give it up now.”

“It’s a time machine; I could take you to twenty planets and get you back half past nine tonight. College will still be here.” He was trying not to sound like a child.

She sighed. “It’s not just that. Isaac already has a hard enough time as it is. I want him to have a normal childhood, or as normal of one as he can have when his mother is just barely a high school graduate.

“I want things to be normal for him. I can’t do that if we’re running around on some planet or gallivanting in the future.”

The Doctor looked down and nodded. “I understand.” He walked over to the cradle and picked up Andi, placing her on his hip.

Brie glanced at the doors and bit her lip. “But... maybe one trip?”

His face broke into a grin at that. “You’re gonna love this!” He headed to the console but was stopped by the human clearing her throat. “What?”

Brie nodded her head toward the brown contraption near the baby bed. “Child safety first.”

The Doctor sighed but went over and picked up the front-carrier. He let Brie strap it on him and watched her place Andi gently inside. When she’d finished, he smiled. “Ready now?”

She smiled back and nodded. “Ready.”

Brie grabbed Isaac and situated them on the jump seat while the Doctor went about flipping switches and pressing buttons on the console. “Where shall we go?”

“Wherever you want!” she laughed.

“Alright, then." He picked up his mallet and smacked it against a button. "Pluto, here we come!"


	5. Of Patience and (Im)Perfect Parenting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be snippets of the Doctor raising Andi over a series of five years. We also learn more about Brie.
> 
> I know that the ages for the milestones are going to seem wrong, but keep in mind that Andi isn’t human; she doesn’t develop the same as other children.

_Age 1_

“Now put the lid on. Make sure it’s tight; you don’t want it spilling on her.”

...“Okay. Lid on. Now I give it to her?”

“No. Now you squirt a bit onto your wrist to check the temperature. If it’s too warm, she won’t take it and you’ll have an upset baby on your hands.”

...”Feels fine to me. _Now_ do I give it to her?”

“ _Yes_ , she can have it now.”

The Doctor sighed in relief and turned to where Andi and Isaac were sitting in the pink playpen in the corner of the TARDIS’ kitchen. “Are you hungry, Andi?” he asked, picking her up. “Want some milk?”

Brie watched from off to the side, coaching. “Okay, now sit down.... Cradle her in the crook of one arm, make sure her neck is supported.... Good, now tip the bottle a little -- only a little! -- yeah, like that....”

“Blech!” the Doctor shouted in disgust when he found his suit jacket splattered with milk. “This is new!”

Brie looked amused. “I told you to wear a t-shirt.” She took the bottle from him. “She must not like warm milk. We’ll try some cold.”

He stared at her. “You mean all this could have been avoided if we hadn’t heated the milk?”

She shrugged. “Maybe she’s just being fussy. But it’s very possible she just wants cold milk; you never know with babies.”

He groaned and let his head drop back against the chair.

_Age 1 1/2_

The Doctor stared into his daughter’s eyes. “Can you say ‘Doctor’?”

Brie looked on in amusement. “Most kids’ first word is ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy’.”

“Well, Andi isn’t most kids.”

“She’s still a child.”

He looked at her. “What was Isaac’s?”

“‘Baby’. But that’s what I called him most of the time; he was used to it. His second word was Mommy.”

The Doctor shook his head. “I don’t even know if she can speak, but if she can I’m determined to be her first word.”

“Why don’t you try something easier, then?” Brie suggested, handing another crayon to Isaac. “How about ‘Daddy’?”

The Time Lord shook his head. “I don’t want to pressure her.” She must have looked confused, because he continued, “I call her my daughter, because there’s nothing really else that describes this, and I did basically adopt her. But she had a family before this, somewhere. What if she doesn’t think of me like that? What if, to her, I’m not her father? I want to give her that choice. When she gets older, she can choose what to call me.”

Brie could tell his mind was set. She sighed. “Well, for some babies, their first word is something they hear often, like Isaac’s. What do you say around her? Can you think of any repeated words?”

“Gallifrey.”

They both froze.

“That wasn’t you,” Brie said.

“It wasn’t you, either,” the Doctor confirmed.

“Gallifrey.”

Isaac poked his mother. “Mommy, Andi said her first word!”

As one, the human and the alien turned to look at the tiny girl.

“Every night I tell her stories of my home,” the Doctor whispered.

“Gallifrey!” Andi repeated with a large grin.

_Age 1 2/3_

_“....And just this morning, she tried to take my mallet. That’s not safe, especially near the console. What if she hit something?”_

Brie lifted the small pot off the stove and carried it to the sink. “It’s to be expected,” she said. “She’s a kid; kids get into stuff. I remember Isaac’s grabbing phase. Everything in my bedroom was on a shelf or in a child-proofed container.” Steam rose up in her face when she poured out the remainder of the boiling water.

 _“Well, what do I do?”_ the Doctor asked. _“I can’t just keep her out of the control room; that’s where I am most of the time. And I really don’t want her to be cooped up in her playpen all day.”_

“Did you ever consider... I don’t know, taking a break? Settling in for a couple years? You got me this house; I’m sure you can find another. Or you could stay with me and Isaac.”

She held her breath when the other end of the line went quiet. She could hear him breathing, and the ever-present sounds of the TARDIS in the background, but otherwise it was silent. She was just about to give up when he spoke again.

“I don’t know if I can,” he confessed. “I thought about it, but.... I’ve never been good at staying in one place. Almost all my life, I’ve been on the move, traveling through time and space with whoever wanted to come along. Settling down, getting a house and a car and a job.... I just don’t think I could do it. I don’t have it in me.”

The human could hear the desperation in his voice and immediately felt bad for even suggesting it.

“Tell you what,” she said, grabbing a bowl from the cabinet and plopping the noodles into it. “Come see me later. I’ll put together a list of precautions for child safety. All you’ll have to do is plug the flashdrive into the TARDIS and she’ll do the rest. And I would suggest baby gates for the staircases; I have some from when Isaac was younger that you can use.”

His relief was evident. “Thank you, Brie,” he said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Fall into a deep pit of despair and die from stress before you reach 1000?”

But inside, her heart warmed.

_Age 2_

The adults stared at the little girl.

“I just don’t get it,” the Doctor said. “She doesn’t even try to pull herself up with anything. If I put her on her feet she’ll stand, but she never moves. It’s like she doesn’t _want_ to walk.”

Brie tilted her head. “Could it be her species? Maybe they fly or swim or... I don’t know, levitate.”

He shook his head. “No, none of the humanoid races have that ability, not that I know of. She just won’t walk!”

They watched as Isaac walked over to Andi and handed her a coloring book. The two kids had gotten on so well, right from the start. Isaac insisted on calling the TARDIS every night to talk to his best friend. He’d tell her about his day and, in a few broken sentences, Andi would tell him about hers. It was very likely the cutest thing Brie had ever seen.

“Has she been talking more?” the college student asked.

“Oh yeah. She’s picking words up really fast. The other day I asked her if we should have peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch. You know what she said to me? ‘Make mine a PBJ, light on the PB.’ I don’t even know where she heard that!”

Brie laughed. “Who knows? Kids are anomalies.”

Suddenly they heard Isaac clapping. “Good job, Andi!” he exclaimed.

They turned and saw the alien toddler on her feet, holding on to the coffee table. As they watched, she lifted one little foot and put it down. She repeated the process with her other foot and kept going until she reached the end of the table.

The Doctor let out a loud whoop and scooped his daughter up in his arms. “Amazing! Fantastic! Absolutely brilliant!” he crowed, swinging her around. “ _Molto bene!_ ”

Andi smiled and clapped her hands.

_Age 3_

Brie’s fingers worked quickly and efficiently through Andi’s hair as she tamed the locks into a smooth braid. “It’s really not that hard,” she insisted, tying the end with a ponytail holder.

The Doctor stared at the hair in awe. “That’s amazing. How do you do that?”

She shrugged. “Practice.”

“But Isaac’s a boy!”

The redhead didn’t look up. “I have a little sister,” she said, playing with the end of the braid. “After I got pregnant, my mother refused to even call me her daughter. She’d always been the type of person to go out for drinks with her friends, but she hated paying for a babysitter. Apparently being with child made me more than qualified to look after Abbie. Mom would leave early in the morning and get back past midnight. I ended up basically raising my sister for almost four years, even after I had Isaac.”

She released a long breath. “A month after I graduated and moved out, Social Services took Abigail away. I still see her; she was adopted by a nice young couple who can’t have kids of their own. She’s spoiled rotten.”

Shaking her head, she looked up and forced a smile. “Anyway. You really need to learn how to do this. You can’t keep coming to my house every morning for me to fix _your daughter’s_ hair.”

The Doctor watched her for a minute, his eyes unreadable. When she started squirming uncomfortably, he blinked and took a seat on the carpet beside her.

“Alright,” he said. “Show me.”

_Age 4_

“...and they lived happily ever after. The end.” Brie looked at the child in her lap. “This was my favorite when I was your age. I always loved Belle because she read as much as me.”

Andi looked at the book cover. “She’s pretty.”

“I agree.” Brie tilted her head. “Does your daddy read you fairytales?”

The four-year-old nodded. “All of them. But I’ve never heard that one.”

The mother smiled. “What’s your favorite?”

“The Little Siren.”

Brie stared at her. “You mean The Little Mermaid?”

“Not mermaid, Siren.”

Andi looked completely serious, so she decided it was best to leave it.

***

When the Doctor called later that night to check in -- he’d dropped Andi off to go rescue the Balhoonian prince -- Brie asked him about what Andi had said.

“Oh, yeah,” he confirmed. “I’ve read her all the classics, but she really loves that one. My personal favorite has always been The Princess and the Ood. Such a heartwarming tale.”

“Um... okay.” Something occurred to her. “Doctor, exactly what _kind_ of fairytales do you tell her?”

He sounded surprised. “The Gallifreyan ones, of course. What else?”

***

“What’s that?” Andi asked when Brie dropped a box down on the breakfast bar the next morning.

Brie reached in a pulled out a stack of books and movies. “Andi, have you ever heard of Tinkerbell?”

_Age 4 1/2_

“You got her _what?_ ”

The Doctor winced at the words. “We were walking past the display and she said Isaac had one --”

“My son most certainly does _not_ have an iPad!”

He looked surprised. “That little Dalek.”

Brie pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “She gave you The Eyes, didn’t she?”

“What eyes?”

“Isaac!” she called. “Come here, please.”

The nine-year-old got up from his bean bag and padded over to his mom. “Yes, Mommy?”

“Do the puppy dog eyes.”

Brie watched as her son gave looked up at her alien friend, his eyes wide and brown and somehow managing to be watery. She saw the Time Lord swallow hard.

“Thank you, Isaac. You can go play with Andi now.”

As the boy ran off, Brie turned back to her friend. “ _Those_ were The Eyes.”

“... I’m done for.”

“If you don’t learn to resist her, you are.”

He groaned and dropped into a chair. “How, though?” he asked. “How do you say no to something like that? How do you turn them down when you know giving in will make them happy?”

Brie sat down in the next chair and put a hand on his knee. “You do it because you have to,” she said. “Because you know it’s in her best interest. Because even though she might whine and cry and throw a fit, giving her everything she wants is only going to give her delusions of how the world works, and eventually she’s going to have to do things on her own.”

The Doctor sighed. “You’re right.” He patted her hand and stood up. “Suppose I should take the iPad away, then.”

“You sure?” she asked.

“Not only did she lie about Isaac having one, but she’s too young. She needs to learn. I need to stop being so lenient.”

Brie watched proudly as he went into the living room and squatted down to talk to Andi. He was learning.

_Age 5_

“Andi? Are you up yet, sweetheart?” The Doctor knocked twice on his daughter’s bedroom door. When he got no answer, he frowned and turned the knob.

Since Brie had started reading human fairytales to her, Andi had fallen in love with the Disney fairies. In accordance with the Doctor’s instructions to give Andi whatever bedroom she wanted (for the time being), the TARDIS had redecorated. In one corner of the room, a fake tree stretched from floor to ceiling. There was a small pink door leading to a little nook between the structure and the wall and pink shutters concealing a window for her to look out of. The path to the little door was made of painted cherry blossoms.

The Doctor made his way to the round bed in the center of the room, the bottom of which was fashioned to look like it was part of a tree stump. Three steps resembling leaves made it easy to get on and off the mattress.

He frowned when he saw the pink-and-green sheets tousled but empty. The room really wasn’t that big, and it was only about 7 in the morning. Normally he had to drag her out of bed. Where could she possibly be?

He turned when he heard the small door open and stared.

“I’m ready, Daddy!”

His daughter was not only awake, but had apparently decided to dress herself. She wore a plain white short-sleeve shirt. Below that was a dark blue polka dot skirt over a pair of full-length white leggings with lace at the bottoms. On her feet were plain silver ballet flats.

He blinked. “Yes, I can see that,” he replied, nodding. “But it’s November, sweetie. Autumn. It’s chilly outside.”

Andi frowned for a second before her face brightened. She rushed around him to the far curve of her bed, where her clothes were stored, pulled out the bottom drawer, and began digging around inside.

“I can wear this!” she exclaimed, slipping on a light brown anorak jacket. “Is this warm enough?”

“Yes... yes, that’ll do.” He cleared his throat. “Now go along to the kitchen; there’s cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit on the table for breakfast. I’ll be there in a minute to pour your milk and fix your hair.” The elbow-length locks were so tangled it looked like a robot spider had made a nest.

“Okay!” She ran off down the hallway, the Doctor too stunned to reprimand her.

***

“Andi looks nice today,” Brie commented later that day as they watched the kids swing. “You didn’t even need my help. I think you’re starting to understand fashion.”

“I didn’t pick it out,” he told her. “She did.”

Brie looked at him in surprise before busting out laughing.

“What?” he asked, slightly hurt.

She shook her head. “Your daughter is more fashion-coordinated than you!” she giggled.

He huffed in mock-indignation, but deep inside, he knew she was right.


	6. Of First Impressions and Human-Like Time Lords

“One trip,” the Doctor said, grinning widely. “Your choice: past, future, or planet?”

“Um, I don’t know... past,” Martha decided.

“Past it is!” He pulled some levers and pushed some buttons. “Just one quick stop first.”

The time ship stopped shaking. The Doctor moved to the doors and gestured, bouncing impatiently on his toes. “Come on, come on,” he urged.

Martha followed him out of the box. She blinked. “We moved.”

They had landed in a backyard. A wooden playset with a slide, two swings, and monkey rings sat to one side, surrounded by gravel. A hammock hung between two trees on the other side. A path of ten gray stepping stones led from a small blue gazebo to the sliding glass door of a house.

Before the Doctor could answer her, the door slid open. A young redheaded woman stepped outside, wiping her hands on her dark-washed skinny jeans. A smile lit her face when she saw the intruders.

“I thought I heard that box of yours!” she exclaimed in an American accent. She made her way quickly to them, keeping to the stones.

The Doctor wrapped her in a tight hug. “How many days?” he asked when they separated.

“Only three,” the woman replied. “You’re still within your self-appointed time limit.” Her eyes flicked to Martha. “And who is this?”

“Oh!” the Doctor said. “This is Martha Jones. I promised her a trip. Martha, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Brie Kelly.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Brie said.

This woman sounded genuinely happy, which confused Martha. The medical student didn’t know what the Doctor’s companions were usually like, but she figured they wouldn’t be happy meeting a “replacement”. On the other hand, the Doctor had said his last companion was five years ago, and her name had been Rose; this woman looked too young to have come before that. But then how did she know him...?

While she’d been musing, the Doctor and Brie had continued their conversation.

“So how is school going?” the Time Lord was asking.

Brie sighed. “Oh, you know. It’s a process. Still going to RCCC; one more year til I get my Bachelor’s and then it’s off to UNCC for another one thousand eight hundred and twenty five days.”

“Let me know if you need any help; I am, after all, a genius.”

“In science and space and time, yeah, but in Sociology and Psychology?”

“I’m nine hundred and six years old; my genius knows no bounds.”

Brie laughed. “Okay. I promise to ask if I get stuck.” She ran a hand through her wavy hair. “Now, I just finished making lunch. Would you like some?”

“Your cooking? Of course.”

Martha realized they were waiting for her. “Oh, uh, yes, please. Lunch would be great.”

Brie smiled. “Then come on in.”

The redhead led the way into the cozy two-story house. As they walked, Martha noticed each of the stepping stones had a pair of handprints in it, along with an age engraved beneath. She wondered if Brie had a child.

The sliding door led right into the kitchen. It was clean but cozy, with a cooker, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and island. A breakfast bar allowed a view into a small living room.

Brie went to the counter and began scooping something from a pot.

“Do you like macaroni and cheese, Martha?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

The young woman grabbed two of the bowls and carried them to the breakfast bar before going to the staircase in the living room.

“Kids, lunch!” she called.

Footsteps pounded down the stairs. Two small bodies dressed in pajamas tumbled into the room. Before they could go further, Brie stopped them. “There’s a surprise for you in the kitchen, sweetheart,” she said to the shorter one.

The door swung open. The tall child, a boy, went directly for his lunch. The girl, however, stood frozen in the doorway. She stared at the Doctor for a long moment before jolting into motion.

“Daddy!” she yelled, running to the man.

The Time Lord caught her and swung her high before bringing her closer and hugging her. “Hey there, baby girl. Long time, no see, eh?” He kissed her forehead. “Did you have fun with Isaac?”

“Yeah! We played Time Travel and school and....” She proceeded to rattle off a long list of typical kid games, although strange words like “Ood” and “Raxacoricofallapatorius” popped up occasionally.

Martha was staring in shock. She heard Brie chuckle next to her.

“He didn’t tell you he has a daughter, did he?” the redhead asked.

Martha shook her head. “So, is she... are you and the Doctor....”

“What? No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, definitely not. No.” Brie looked sick in that _Ew-we’re-related_ kind of way. “It’s not like that with us. We’re just friends.”

“So you’re not interested, he’s not interested....”

Brie grew thoughtful. “I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t find him... _attractive_ , but... we just don’t have that sort of connection. It’s always been just friends for us.”

“Is it because he’s... you know, alien?”

“Oh, no!” Brie shook her head quickly. “That doesn’t bother me. Sometimes I feel like he’s more human than most of humanity. God knows he’s been around long enough to know how to pass as one. No, that’s not it. I think.... It’s kind of like when you meet someone and you just _feel_ something, a connection, or the spark of a connection. And then you find out a huge secret about them, and even though it scares you to death, you still can’t shake that feeling.”

She looked at Martha. “The same day I met the Doctor, I found out he was an alien. He asked me to go with him but I said no because of Isaac. We keep in contact; I don’t think he would’ve survived a week with that kid if he didn’t have me to keep him sane. Five years later and there’s not one day I regret my choice to be his friend.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the alien in question.

“Martha, I’d like you to meet someone very important to me. This is my daughter, Andromeda Cassiopeia Freya Kasterborous. Andi, can you say hello to Martha?”

The little girl looked at her shyly. “Hello, Martha.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Andi,” the medical student replied.

The Doctor put his daughter down. “Alright, go eat your lunch. And mouth closed when you chew!” he added as she ran off to her seat.

Brie passed out the remaining bowls and the adults leaned against the counter.

“So where are you off to after this?” the mother asked, scooping mac ‘n’ cheese out of her bowl.

“Not sure,” the Doctor replied cheerily. “Somewhere in the past. Figured I’d set the randomizer and see what happens.” He glanced at her sideways. “Do you want to come?”

She shook her head. “Not this time. I’m still recovering from Antares.”

“I told you, the Crystal Possessors just wanted to make you their queen.”

“I’m twenty-four, I don’t want to be a queen!”

“Well they didn’t know that!”

Martha listened to them go back and forth and found herself feeling a bit jealous. Maybe Brie didn’t have _those feelings_ for the Time Lord, but she’d known him for years. And he’d told her one trip.

“What are the Crystal Possessors?” she broke in, wanting to be included.

The Doctor looked at her. “They’re a fairly humanoid race, besides the pointed ears and pink eyes. Antares is a crystalline planet. In the Crystallite language, _possess_ means harbor, or protect. The crystals on Antares are sacred to the Crystallites; they renew the planet every year, and they generate the energy that creates their young. Crystal Possessors are considered the Chosen Ones, those fortunate enough to have the job of protecting the crystals.”

“And they wanted Brie as their queen?”

“Yep, although I guess she’d be more of a regent. The Crystallites are a peaceful race who govern themselves, but the Possessors follow a strict code of conduct that is enforced by a female ruler, typically the most beautiful and unique Crystallite. Brie stood out with her red hair and freckles, so they wanted her. They were incredibly fond of Isaac, too.”

“How’d you two meet, anyway?” Brie asked, changing the subject. “I thought you were going off to find the killer of Princess something or another.”

“I was!” the Doctor protested.

“I’m a medical student at Royal Hope Hospital,” Martha explained. “He tracked the alien there and was posing as a patient. The hospital was transported to the moon so the Judoon could search it and I helped him expose the killer.”

“Saved my life, too,” the Time Lord added. “So I offered her a trip.”

“And are you going to be taking Andi on this trip?” Brie said pointedly.

The Doctor looked offended. “Of course I am!” he exclaimed. “That’s why we stopped here first. I missed my little mystery.”

“Daddy, can we go to Alitar?” the child in question asked, looking at her father with big amber eyes.

He walked over to her. “Not this time,” he said. “It’s Martha’s choice, and she wants the past.”

Martha expected an argument, but Andi just said, “Okay!” and went back to eating.

“She’s not going to be upset, is she?” she asked the Doctor when he came back over.

He shook his head. “Nah, she knows better. Used to be she could get me to do anything just by flashing those big eyes. Brie put a stop to that when I bought her an iPad a couple years back. It took some time, but eventually Andi learned that she won’t get everywhere by being cute.”

“What’s on Alitar?”

“Oh, just the Sea Dancers. They’re a society based primarily on entertainment. They communicate solely through body movements. It’s actually pretty fascinating.”

“Mom, can I go help Andi pack her things?” the little boy -- Isaac, Martha figured -- asked.

Brie nodded. “Put your bowls in the sink before you go. And get dressed!” she added sternly as they pounded up the stairs.

The redhead looked guiltily at the Doctor. “Sorry she’s still in her nightgown,” she apologized. “They convinced me they wanted to play Peter Pan and that they had to be wearing their PJs to do it.”

“It’s fine, Brie. You already do so much for us; I don’t think I could ever repay you in a hundred years.”

She smiled. “Thank you. You know kissing up isn’t going to get you anywhere, right?”

He mock-gasped. “I am offended you would think of me that way!”

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning to wash the lunch dishes.

“Let me do that,” the Doctor protested, batting her hands out of the way. “You go sit down and congratulate yourself on looking after a ten-year-old and a six-year-old for three days with no help.”

Brie gave him a relieved look before going into the living room.

“You too, Martha,” he added when the medical student stayed put. “I’ll be done in a bit, and as soon as Andi gets her stuff we can go.”

Reluctantly, Martha went to sit with Brie. She decided to take the opportunity to ask more about the mysterious little girl. “So if Andi isn’t yours, whose is she?”

Brie took out her phone and tapped at the screen before holding it out to Martha. There was a picture of the Doctor -- looking exactly the same as he did now -- holding a little baby girl with blue-streaked hair.

“This was taken the day I met the Doctor, which was the day after he found Andi,” she began.

“Wait -- found?” Martha interrupted.

The young mother nodded. “Andi was in the wardrobe of the TARDIS, buried in a pile of clothes. To this day the Doctor has no clue how she got on board, where she came from, or what she is. But he’s taken care of her better than anyone ever could.”

“Just like that? He just... kept a baby?”

“He used to be a father, you know.” At Martha’s look of disbelief, Brie continued, “It’s true. Time Lords live for a long time, and they don’t always look their age. When he first left his home, he was with his granddaughter, Susan. He had two children, a girl and a boy.”

“So he kept Andi out of... what? A sense of responsibility? Obligation?”

“Not really. Personally, I think it was a desire to not be alone. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Doctor, it’s that he hates being lonely. That’s what makes him so human, even if he is an alien: he feels the same need we do to fit in, to belong -- and to have someone, _anyone_ , who can make him feel that way is one of his priorities. He told you about Rose?”

Martha nodded. “He told me that was five years ago. That would be right around the time he found Andi, wouldn’t it?”

Brie looked solemn. “Andi showed up in the wardrobe the day he said goodbye,” she replied. “Rose is trapped on a parallel world; trying to go back could cause both our world and hers to collapse. There’s no way to see her again.

“The Doctor told me he’d decided, the moment he lost contact with her, that he wouldn’t have another companion; it was too painful. But then he found Andi, and I think seeing her sparked something in him, some instinct buried away.”

“The paternal instinct?”

Brie nodded. “Exactly. The Doctor doesn’t have any family left. To him, Andi must have been a second chance.”

Andi and Isaac came trotting back down the stairs; this time, the little girl carried a duffle bag the same blue as her streaks over her shoulder. They’d both gotten dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

“All ready to go, then?” the Doctor asked, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

***

Martha watched from the side as goodbyes were said. Brie hugged the Doctor and reminded him to keep up with Andi’s reading. The Doctor hugged Isaac and promised to take him to another planet soon. Brie hugged Andi and made her promise to be good for her daddy. Andi hugged Isaac and told him he made a perfect Peter Pan.

The medical student was surprised when Brie pulled her into a warm embrace. “Look after him,” the young mother whispered.

“I will,” Martha promised when they parted.

Andi led the way into the TARDIS, and they were off.

**Author's Note:**

> I understand there must be a lot of mistakes about the Doctor's past and such. I haven't seen Classic Who (not for lack of trying; I just don't have access to it), but I do know the Doctor had two children (I think) and a granddaughter. I made up what I don't know.


End file.
